2/8/18

(I didnt think I would be far enough on this hat to get to where I needed double pointed needles on my trip so I improvised with coffee straws :)

Real grandma talk- Knitting is my favorite thing ever, think. It's so dorky, but it just makes me so happy! And I have found this whole community of people online that love it too that have amazing tutorials and patterns that have taught me so much. I am so so thankful for it and have had so much fun pushing myself farther than I thought I could go.

This was the first color work that I had ever done and the hats up there were the first bobble pieces I had ever done. They were clearly easy projects, but trying new things and pushing myself has been just so much fun.

I can honestly not talk about this sweater without getting kind of emotional and I know that is so freakin wierd. I know. But this sweater changed the trajectory of my knitting and what I am able to do. This tutorial really changed the game for me. I had made a sweater before and I had made a few baby ones, so it wasn't my first. But it was the first one that I made up on my own, thanks to Karen.

I read each blog post that she posted and took in as much information as I could to take me to the next step and every time I tried it on and it fit I just felt like flying!

Then I made these Iris sweaters by Jenny Gordy for my nieces that are so cute, but done completely differently and that was so fun too! The first one took me four times to get the front right, but I learned so much by taking it out and trying again.

Which led me to Boyland knit works who is the most beautiful fiber artist with her knitting patterns. I am obsessed with every single thing she creates and I want to make every singe one.

I was almost late to get on the plane to Africa with my mom and Christopher because I was getting the yarn for this sweater from the wonderful Mckinney Knittery and I worked on it constantly on the plane and then a ton at home. I took a break to make Kai and Presley's sweaters and then worked on it again after the new year.

This was the first step into lace work and it was very challenging for me. Especially with such thin yarn, but I did love it.

I ended up finishing it for the annual meeting dinner when everyone came in from Caris for the week and it was just the coolest complete circle for me. Trying something new and saying yes to things that I wouldn't usually do or that I would be too scared to do has taught me so much more than I could have ever learned sitting on the sidelines.

I want to be someone who says yes. I dont want to be afraid- or if I am afraid I want to not be too afraid to try. I want to teach my kids that failing and starting over is so much better than not trying. I want them to know that working hard at something is so much better than being lazy or having things come easy.

Now I am working on one for Ben. Hopefully I finish it before it gets too hot, 😉